Railway-switch.



P. E. VAIL.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1909.

943,053 v r Patented Dec.14,1909.

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RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1909.

943,053, Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

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PETER E. VAIL, OF CHARITON, IOWA.

RAILWAY-SVIITCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER E. VAIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chariton, in the county of Lucas and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway switches, and the object of my invention is to provide a switch of the split-rail type in which the use of frogs or breaks in the main line rails is obviated, so that the danger incident to the use of such devices is eliminated, the track when the switch is open being continuous as to both of the main line rails, and the switch when it is closed being also continuous, the wheels being carried over the main line by the switch rails being built up sufficiently to cause the flanges of the wheels to clear the rails of the main track when the train is taking the switch.

My invention also consists in a mechanism for operating my form of switch, which is simple in construction, direct in its action and composed of few parts, and one in which there is no dead center upon which the operating mechanism may become arrested.

IVith these and other objects in view my invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, the preferred form of which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then the invention particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein the same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs, Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch constructed in accordance with the preferred form of my invention and showing the same with the switch closed, the position of certain parts when the switch is opened being also shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one side of the switch; Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3, 8 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an inverted perspective view of what is termed by me a cross-over; Fig. 5 is a view of the cross-over in upright position, and Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6, 6, of Fig. 1.

5, 5 designate the continuous main line rails and 6, 6 the rails of the switch or siding.

7, 7 are a pair of brackets which are shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. March 25, 1909.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

Serial No. 485,567.

as secured to the outer side of one of the main line rails and carry bearings 8, 8 in which is rotatably supported a shaft 9, to which is secured a pair of arms 10, 10.

11 is a switch point of a shape similar to the point of an ordinary split rail switch. This switch point 11 is however secured to the free ends of the arms 10, which are of such a length that when the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the point rests against the inner side of the main line rail with the arms 10, 10 extending thereover. lVhile with the switch open the point 11 will be thrown outside of the main line rail and lie parallel therewith. 12 is the other movable part of the switch which, as shown, is in the form of a stub rail pivoted at 13 at the end of the switch rail and adapted to be moved up along side of the adjacent main line rail or away from the same, as indicated by full and dotted lines in Fig. 1. In order to move these points into and out of position I provide a mechanism which will rotate the shaft 9 through a half revolution and at the same time swing the switch point 12 toward and away from the adjacent main line rail. The mechanism I have shown for effecting this comprises a switch stand 14 in which is supported a vertical switch rod 15 having an operating handle 16, and provided with a pair of operating levers 17 and 18 located at right angles to each other and extending from the lower portion of the rod 15.

19 is a bar slidably mounted beneath the main line rails and provided at one end with a rack 20 meshing with the gear 21 carried by the shaft 9.

22 is a link connecting the end of the bar 19 with the operating arm 17 on the rod 15. The relative size of the gear 21 and the length of the arm 13 are preferably such that a quarter turn of the rod 15 will throw the point 11 from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and vice versa. The sliding bar 19 adjacent the end opposite that carrying the rack 20 is preferably connected by means of a link 22 with the side of the pivoted stub rail 12, so that the stub rail 12 will move in unison with the point 11 and be moved into contact with the adjacent main line rail when the point 11 is thrown over its adjacent main line rail and the switch assumes the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The portion of the switch rail which extends from the switch point 11 between the main line rails is built up from the ties so that when this rail crosses the main line the top of the rail is sufficiently high to cause the flanges of the wheels to clear the main line rail. It is also to be noted that the pivoted stub rail 13 is built up toward its pivot and the section of the rail 6 extending from the stub rail is also built up, so that the whole when taking the switch will be elevated suflicient to have its flange pass over the main line rail, as is best shown in Fig. 6. The siding rail 6 which is located between the main line rails does not extend up against the main line rail nor does the portion of the rail outside of the main line rails extend to the rail, but a space is left to provide a continuous main line rail when the switch is open. 'When the switch is closed this space is bridged by what I have termed a cross-over, such crossover being shown in detail in Figs. 4 and This cross-over consists of a section of rail 23 provided with a diagonal cut 24 through its face and web, said out being of such a width and depth as to straddle the main line rail and bridge the space between the ends of the siding rails.

25 is a strengthening flange which extends out from one side of the rail 23 and around the cut out portion 24.

26 are a pair of bearing plates mounted on opposite sides of the main line rail and in position to support the ends of the crossover when the same straddles the main line rail. In order to operate this cross-over as required, I have shown the same as carried by a pair of arms 27 fast on the shaft 28, journaled in suitable bearings 29. Preferably, and as shown, the shaft 28 is provided with a gear 30 with which meshes a gear 31 fast on a shaft 32, mounted in bearings 33. In order to operate this mechanism I have shown the gear 31 as provided with a crank pin 34 extending out from the side thereof to which is connected one end of an arm 35,

the other end of the arm being connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 36, suitably journaled beside the track, as at 37, and having its other arm connected to the lever 18 on the switch rod by means of the connecting rod 38.

It will be observed from this construction that the switch when it is closed oper ates the same as the ordinary split rail switch, but that when open both the movable portions of the switch are entirely away from the line of the rails, and not only are the main line rails unbroken by any frogs or the like but the track between the main line rails is entirely clear and unobstructed.

The form of cross-over used by me obviates all necessity for frogs with their atarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the specific form shown and described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A railway switch having a switch point pivoted outside of the rails, means for oper- I ating the point to move the same in a vertical plane to throw it over the rail and against the inside thereof, a second switch point pivoted outside of the rail and means connecting said second switch point with said operating mechanism, whereby said latter switch point will be moved horizontally against the side of the adjacent rail.

2. A railway switch comprising a pair of switch points pivoted outside of the rails, the pivot of one of said switch points being horizontal and the other vertical, and means for operating the points to throw said vertically pivoted point against the outside of one rail and the horizontally pivoted point over the other rail and against the inside thereof.

3. A railway switch having a split rail switch point pivoted in a horizontal plane outside of one rail and a stub rail pivoted in a vertical plane outside the other rail, means for operating said switch rails to throw said split rail over one of the track rails and against the inside thereof and simultaneously move the stub switch rail against the outside of the other track rail.

4-. A railway switch comprising a pair of switch points adapted to be thrown into contact with the main line rails, of a cross over comprising a section of rail of standard design having a cut away portion in its base and web intermediate its ends, said cross over being pivoted adjacent one of the rails, and means connecting said cross over and switch points whereby they may be operated simultaneously.

5. A railway switch comprising a pair of switch points adapted to be thrown into contact with the main line rails, of a cross over comprising a section of rail of standard design having a cut away portion in its base and web intermediate its ends, a strengthening flange extending from the side of the web adjacent the cut away portion, said crossover being pivoted adjacent one of the rails, and means connecting said cross over and switch points whereby they may be operated simultaneously.

6. A railway switch comprising a pair of switch points whereby they may be operated 10 simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER E. VAIL.

W. N. Woonson,

i l Witnesses: l K. E. KLEIN. 

